Black, brown or gray rats are one of the oldest mammals on the Earth. They appeared 48 millions years earlier than a man. These rodents used to eat almost everything. Sharp teeth can chew through plastic, wood, cardboard, cloth, even metal and concrete. Besides, rats are highly prolific and thrive in a wide range of environments. House rats have already spread worldwide. It takes about 4-5 years for a group of rats, composed of a male and some females, to breed and occupy an average town. Moreover, they can migrate, explore and settle on new areas in search of delicious food. Of course, large-scale rat control programs should be taken and maintained in rural and urban settings, as rats are life-threatening to humans.
Unfortunately, rodents destruct and cause structural damage to buildings and transmit viruses, bacteria and parasites in people and pets. Rats are intelligent and quick-witted. They can distinguish poisoned food from normal, even when the amount of toxin is extremely low. Moreover, rats can predict natural disasters to run away. They are nice swimmers as well. Everyone knows that the rats are the first to leave a sinking ship.
As a rule, rats prefer peace and quiet for breeding and living. They build their nests from shredded materials somewhere outside a human home, for example, in warehouses, vegetable stores and barns. They may also burrow into the soil and make their nest-chamber underground.
How to kick rats out of the house
Unfortunately, the rats may settle down indoors. You may notice rat droppings in areas of your home, see a cat-like animal running along pipes and baseboards, or hear strange scratching noises in the walls at night. These are the signs of rat infestation and it’s high time to take action.
Cleanliness and sanitation
Bad housekeeping and filthiness are the main causes of rat infestations at home. Basements and attics full of junk are ideal places for rodents and their nests. The best way to get rid of rats is thorough sanitation and maintaining cleanliness. If you put your house in order, get the mess sorted out and discarded, rats are likely to leave your home. Collect garbage and compost regularly and deposit them in the proper receptacles.
Inspect your home indoors and outside. Simply seal exterior holes and cracks in the foundation and the outer walls. Besides, repair any holes in drainage and water pipes. Repair entrance doors and louvres on the roof. Moreover, attach screens on windows and grids on air vents tightly.
Ultrasound repelling devices
Rats interact with each other via ultra-audible sounds. Thus, some homeowners use special pest reject ultrasound aids to keep rodents away. They are non-toxic and non-chemical devices that work plugged into wall outlets. In fact, pest repelling aids emit ultrasound waves that are so unpleasant to rodents. Moreover, scientists noticed that rats avoid areas where rock music is often played or listened to.
Rat control methods
Ways how to kill rats are both natural and chemical. However, all methods are not humane as in the most cases rats suffer from poison and die agonizing death in traps or your pet’s teeth.
Rat Traps, Cages and Glue traps
Place plain rat traps and cage traps in front of holes and cracks where rodents may enter the building. You may use rodent glue boards diy as well. Take some clay tiles for flooring and spread the special glue onto the surface. Don’t forget to place a meal in the centre. For the bait use bacon, wheat, sunflower seeds, nut meat, or dried fruit. These foods are effective at luring rats.
Toxic bait traps
Moreover, you can purchase poison bait stations and lay them around potential rat habitats. You can leave them in the basements, attics, warehouses, along pipes and walls. Keep toxic bait traps out of the reach of kids and pets. Besides, be sure, that rats are clever and they make a weakened colony mate to “sample” or feed on the bait. Afterward, they wait and watch for reaction. If the experimental animal gets sick or dies, other rat members won’t eat the toxic meal anymore. It is better to use pesticides that kill rats not immediately, but in some period of time after bait ingestion. In this case, the rats do not associate the damage with their feeding habits.
Brodifacoum baits are also applied along with colored dyes. This colored poison not only kills, but also identifies rats for experimental and tracking purposes. Brodifacoum C31H23BrO3 and Bromadiolone C30H23BrO4 are rodenticides of second generation. They are sold in the form of cheesy-dough rolls, pellets, bait chunx, paraffin brickets or wheat grains. Toxins cause damage to tiny blood vessels and affect nervous and respiratory systems of rats and other vermins. Rodents die in 3-7 days.
Pets for rat control
You may get a pet that is able to scare or to kill rats at once. Not all cats and dogs can kill an adult rat. The well-known rat-catching dogs are rat-terriers, wiener dogs, pinschers, foxterriers and others. Ratters among cats are Seamese, Abyssinian, Singapura, Oriental and Cornish Rex. Moreover, when having any pet at home, you may determine that you have a rat problem if they are on high alert.
Professional mass rat control
In rural and urban areas, professional rat exterminators use methods of mass rat control. They distribute pesticides over the fields via aerial spray by helicopters. They apply Sodium Fluoroacetate 1080 and Pindone. In addition, they use Phosphides as indoor fumigants. Unfortunately, rat populations typically rebound to normal size within months due to their fast reproduction and highly adaptive foraging behavior. Thus, it is necessary to provide rat control regularly.
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